


Gypsy

by MurrhMonday



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Comedy, Drama, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-15 07:39:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16058567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MurrhMonday/pseuds/MurrhMonday
Summary: Castiel believed he was born to be a hunter; it was simply the life he's always known. He considered saving people from monsters as his only purpose, but an encounter with a pair of archangels brought irrevocable changes in it's wake.





	Gypsy

Trees swayed in the cold November wind. The moon shined full in the sky, almost starless. It was a very rare, quiet evening. Angelina stirred in her bed, and turned to embrace her husband. When she felt nothing on his side, she sat up, and frowned. He always did this to her. Ever since her twins were born, he became distant. She knew he was sitting in the living room to drink whiskey and brood like he usually did. Angelina got out of bed, and tucked a dark lock of hair behind her ear. On her way to Castiel's crib, she had sleepy ideas fill her head. They were to bring her family closer together. She felt that Chuck would get used to the life of being a father, if she could just show him how precious and loving their children really are. Lucifer was sleeping between Michael and Gabriel in Castiel's bedroom. The youngest twin vowed to watch over his brothers that night, since Zachariah and Raphael were at a big sleepover with all of their daycare friends. Michael nodded in agreement at his declaration while reaching for a piece of garlic bread, and Gabriel babbled about aliens fighting robots with around a mouthful of spaghetti. The skid marks on the wood floor showed the bed was moved away from the wall haphazardly, and closer to the crib. The two slept on either side of Lucifer. She smiled at the sight of them, and checked on Castiel. He was supposed to be sleeping but he was wide awake, grabbing at his feet. When he noticed her above, he waved his arms and kicked his legs excitedly. She picked him up, and took him down to the kitchen for a new bottle. Just as she suspected, Chuck was passed out on the couch. Angelina walked over to him, then gently rubbed his shoulder. "I'm going to make him a bottle, but you get the task of putting him to sleep." His snoring stopped abruptly. "..Five more minutes Angie.." His wife rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen. While she pulled a clean bottle out of the cupboard, the kitchen lights flickered. It was brief; nothing too out of the ordinary. When Castiel's bottle was made, she brought him upstairs to his crib, and carefully laid him down. She kissed his forehead and began to walk back to her room, but something wasn't right. She'd seen a shadow in the corner of her eye. Just to make sure she wasn't seeing things, Angelina walked back into his room. She squinted and noticed a man dressed in black looming over her children. When she saw what he was doing her mouth opened to scream, but she was dragged up the wall before a sound could leave her throat. She felt a blinding pain in her abdomen as she struggled and clawed against the wall. Chuck finally sat up from the couch to do as his wife asked. He stumbled his way up to Castiel's room. The boys were sleeping quietly. Chuck heard small noises from the crib, and walked over to give him a diaper change before attempting to put him to sleep. The task was as complicated as it always was, but he managed to complete it without asking his wife for help. Castiel made a tiny sneeze after settling in a new onesie and diaper. It brought a small smile to his face. The baby was so cute when he wasn't crying for his mom’s presence every time she left. In the midst of his thoughts, a red drop fell on his baby's cheek. Chuck looked up at ceiling in confusion. Angelina was there, and bleeding from the stomach. Before he could shout her name, flames burst from her and began to spread from the ceiling down the walls. He turned to the three sleeping boys, and shook Lucifer awake. "Take Gabriel outside." Lucifer started reaching for Gabriel to carry him. He yawned, and when his sleepy eyes met the ceiling, yelled in fear. "But momma's up there!" Michael rubbed his eyes and looked in the same direction. His bottom lip quivered. Chuck knelt down to place Castiel in Michael's arms. "Both of you, go out there right now! Don't look back!" Michael sobbed, but held Castiel closely and followed Lucifer down the stairs, then through the front door. Chuck couldn't reach her. He called her name in anguish before leaving the house himself. Her blue eyes looked pained, rather than afraid. When he met his kids outside, all of them were crying, and calling for their mother. Sirens of an incoming fire truck wailed as it came barreling down the road. Two police cars appeared moments after firefighters left their truck to put out the growing fire. One of the policemen spoke with the fire truck’s driver. The other came his way. He was a tall, pale man with sunken eyes. “Do you know what happened here?” Chuck wasn't able to answer right away. He watched the fire creep up to the roof. “My wife’s in there.” His eyes fell to his weeping boys that huddled together at his feet. “I couldn't save her.” The officer’s emotionless expression didn't change. “Then let us make this brief. Tell me what happened, so I can piece all of this together with the fire department and sooner leave you be.” He took a minute to speak again. “I went upstairs to put the baby to sleep like my wife asked, but I saw a bit of blood fall on my son’s face. I looked up, and she was on the ceiling. Does that sound right to you? That she was bleeding up there, and bursted into flames?” His voice grew hoarse. He noticed the policeman stopped writing on his notepad after hearing the details of his wife’s death. “It sounds crazy, doesn't it?” The policeman didn't comment, and excused himself to speak with the firefighter that returned from exploring his burning house only moments ago. Chuck looked at the small pile of boys. Lucifer was the only child that didn't cry. Instead, he was the one that held them close together. His small arms seemed to shield them all. It was the only bit of good Chuck could see in this devastating situation. The policeman that previously spoke to him returned after a few minutes of productive conversation. “Well, he just told me that they went in there to look for anybody that could've been left behind and didn't find anyone. I'm going to call a team of detectives to investigate this house after the fire’s been put out. Would you mind coming with me to the station for a follow-up after this, sir?” Chuck shrugged his shoulders. “I don't mind. I just need to call my sister to pick up the kids first.” The officer nodded. Chuck quickly asked the neighbors if he could use their telephone. Amara answered after the fourth ring. “Hello?” He sighed before replying, relieved to hear her voice. “Hey, I'm sorry to wake you up, but could you come to the house and pick up the kids? It's an emergency.” The line was silent for a while. She must've been filtering through every possibility that could cause an emergency to arise. “Yes. Do you need anything else?” Her response was proof he was correct. She tended to analyze everything to avoid panic. If it wasn’t so complex, he would envy her. “No, picking them up is more than enough.” Her voice took on a worried tone. “Are you okay?” His silence spoke volumes. “Nevermind. I’ll leave right now.” The line went dead, and he waited for her to show up. Her black Corvette Stingray appeared at the driveway, and she got out. The house was in cinders for the most part. She showed up with disheveled hair and a pink bathrobe. There was no time to put shoes on her bare feet. “Chuck?” she asked gently. “Where is Angelina?” Her brother crossed his arms. “She's gone.” He stared at the piles of wooden beams and ashes of his home grimly. “Take the kids, I have to go to the police station.” He started to walk toward the police car parked at the curb. “Zachariah and Raphael are at Lidia’s house.” Chuck said over his shoulder as he left. She watched him open the door of the police car, and stood in the same spot for a few minutes, frozen in place. The first movement she made was to turn her head and look at the mourning children that huddled together on the lawn. They didn't respond when she called for them, so she leaned down to pick Gabriel up. When she took him to the car, Lucifer and Michael followed. Her nephews sat in the back seats and didn't say a word. The only noise she heard that night was Castiel’s cries until he eventually tired himself out and fell asleep in her arms.

✝

The ride was quiet, but the policeman driving decided to break the silence once the station was in his sights. “About what happened at your house.” He turned the radio’s volume down to silence its coded commands. “That wasn't natural, I'm sure you know.” He reached for the sandwich wrapped up and left on the passenger seat beside him. It was in a box filled with other elements of the large meal he intended to consume over the day. Very specific foods were one of few things he enjoyed in life. This job was not one of those things. “I can tell you it was your imagination just as any other officer would, but we both know that is a lie.” They stopped in the police station’s parking lot, and he paused to take a bite of his sandwich. “I recognized it immediately. There have been multiple cases identical to yours down to the hour.” The man looked up in the rear view mirror. Chuck’s eyes held a deep sadness, but he was listening closely. “It's the work of a demon. Before you assume I am a lunatic or an extremist in the Catholic Church, remember your experience in that house.” The man handed Chuck a leather book. It’s pages held demonic lore, among other creatures. “Whether you develop a different paradigm or remain an unknowing sheep is solely up to you.” He took his time finishing up his sandwich to let the new information sink in. Chuck was stunned. “Now to make tonight end faster, when we go inside you’ll say your wife couldn't make it out in time, and you smelled the odor of gasoline.”

✝

Chuck moved to another house soon after discovering the reason behind the tragic loss. It was an old brick house that resembled a fortress, and would eventually be the home of a much larger family. Chuck adopted kids that were orphaned from mythical monsters over the years. Uriel's family was slaughtered by starving Vampires, Anna was smart enough to see through the lies of a Shifter and run to safety, Balthazar was last in line to be eaten by a Wendigo, and Gadreel unknowingly led his parents into the clutches of a Djinn. Over time, the list of dependents on the lease became a very long one. Their house was giant, luckily, though packed with children. Rather than wish for company like some kids, most in this house would wish for peace and quiet. Gabriel wanted this silence more than anything. Unlike most of his siblings, he left the life of hunting mythical monsters behind him the moment his 18th birthday came around, and hit the road without looking back. During his time away, there was no pursuit of academic success like Anna. College just wasn't needed. There was so much more to the world than slaving away for a degree. That was one of few things Gabriel believed, and he didn't mind roaming around the world to work very random jobs. As long as they supported him he would make it work, because the job wasn't where his motivation lied. It was in the adventure. He would travel everywhere to experience everything he dreamed of. The childhood memories of his isolated life with his siblings always faded under the cheap lights of a strip club, or the taste of a chocolate bar while he drove to his next destination. Part of the experience was to never plan where he was going. Both for the thrill, and for his family. He made an effort to be untraceable for years, but one of his brothers always seemed to know where he was drifting. Gabriel heard a knock on his hotel room door. What he expected was the pizza he ordered, but when he saw his brother, he closed the door in his face like he didn't see anything outside. Castiel pushed the door open before it could close. "Come on, Gabriel." He started to walk toward the main part of the room and continued ignoring him. "Gabriel." Gabriel sat down on the grey couch, and turned the TV on. Castiel didn't say anything for a couple moments. Deal or No Deal filled the small rooms quiet space with background noise. "Father's gone. He's been missing for a few days on a hunt." That seemed to grab his attention marginally. "So? He always does that." He reached for a stray lollipop on the small table in front of him. Gabriel casted the wrapper aside, and placed the red candy in his mouth. "Don't tell me you need money, because I'm not exactly living a lavish life right now." Castiel sighed, and swiped the remote from his brother's grasp to turn the TV off. "He contacts me every night when he's on a hunt. He's clearly in trouble. We need to find him." Gabriel finally looked him in the eyes. "Did you ask Michael for help?" Castiel was unsure of what his brother wanted to hear, but settled for the truth. "Yes. He is in the car with Raphael and Zachariah." That seemed to be the deal breaker. "No. Cas- you're crazy. I'm not going." Gabriel stood up. "Do you know why I never stay in a city for more than a month anymore? To avoid this. This right here." Castiel just blinked a few times, unable to follow. " I still find you--" Gabriel cut him off, and his voice rose to a yell. "But I don't want to be found!" There was silence while Gabriel tried to calm his nerves. Castiel didn't respond well to outbursts like that; they always overwhelmed him. He couldn't expect his brother to understand his reasons when they didn't include reasonable facts to support them. "Look, I'm sorry. I can't help you." He moved a white curtain to peer outside at the hotel parking lot. His brother’s authority frightened him sometimes. Disobedience never went well with Michael. "Why? Don't you want to find father?" Gabriel shook his head and turned from the window. "No, and I can't understand why you care." Castiel's tone changed to a firm one. It was an immediate sign of his irritation that Gabriel picked up on as they grew up. He learned it from Michael. "Without father, there isn't order in our family. Without order, our family will crumble." "Really? Do I look like I crumbled since I left home? Do you think Lucifer crumbled too?" Castiel's hands clenched at his sides. "You know we can't say that name." "He isn't Voldemort, he's our big brother! The fact that dad convinced you to hate him is exactly why I'm not wasting my time!" He didn't want to say those things, truly. Chuck was better than no father at all. He fed and clothed them, but there was no improvement as the years went by. Each of them was given a set of rules to follow. Every child would grow up to become the perfect hunter. They would obey their father without question, and falling out of line was not an option. Lucifer was always punished because of his natural deviation from every rule, and he would voice how little he cared about killing monsters whenever his father wasn't around. The event was sudden, but Michael tricked him into leaving without too much struggle. Gabriel was just eating a bowl of apple jacks when he heard that Lucifer would meet his oldest brother at the gate to go to the park. That seemed fine, until Michael went outside with bags packed full of Lucifer's things. He'd heard yelling, and Michael didn't come back in the house the same. His family pretended Lucifer didn't exist after that. His father made an effort to forbid mentioning him at any time, in any way. Gabriel had been trying to find him ever since he moved out of the house himself. Two years, and there wasn't so much as a whisper of Lucifer's whereabouts. The journey was to experience life for himself the way he wanted, but finding his brother was the focus of every trip. Castiel lost his patience. "Fine. We'll do it ourselves." When he left, Gabriel went to the couch, and collapsed on it. It was just five minutes. He laid there for five minutes thinking about the next city he would go to, when another knock followed. Again, it wasn't his pizza. Castiel returned with a different demeanor. The right side of his face was red. He didn't need to say a word, Gabriel already knew. "Let me just grab my bag, and I'll be down there." Castiel nodded and waited for him to return. When his duffel was packed, the two walked down the stairs, and to their cars. Castiel owned a dark blue 1970 El Dorado Cadillac, and it was one of his greatest possessions. It irritated him to see Michael at the driver's seat, while Castiel sat in the back of his own car. At the very least, he wouldn't have to sit with his three controlling brothers, and could drive in the comforting solitude of his own precious car. All of Gabriel's joy lied in the driver's seat of his deep green 1966 Oldsmobile Tornado, and he'd sooner die than let someone else take the wheel. They didn't exchange plans, or even a sideways glance before heading out. Gabriel followed them toward whatever sort of mission they forced him to participate in. The evening wind blew through his hair from the open window, but not even the perfect array of stars in the night's welcoming sky could pacify his anger. It was the first time he drove without his freedom. He made a promise to himself after six miles, that when his father was found, he would leave and continue to search for Lucifer without any family ties to hold him back again.

✝

  
Their final stop was at the Two Palms Motel in Glendale. Michael paid the cost of their rooms for the night. Castiel dropped his bag onto the floor of his shared room and laid down. They drove for hours to settle in Glendale, Arizona, all the way from Gabriel’s place in Los Angeles. His eyes started to make images appear from the patterns on their room's dark ceiling. Zachariah had struck him when he said they would be leaving without Gabriel. It wasn't entirely surprising of a gesture, now that he thought about it. His hand touched the right side of his face while the memory replayed itself. "He shouldn't be hitting you. Hit him back and he won't use that against you anymore. I did it, and it worked wonders." Gabriel was sharing the room with him. Castiel never understood how his brother could detect the newly formed thought, but he did. It seemed to be a talent only Gabriel possessed. "Do you really think violence will solve this problem?" Castiel asked incredulously. "If it did for me, it can work just fine for you." He didn't reply to that. Turning on his side to face away from him seemed like the better response, but Gabriel pressed on. "They're treating you just like they did when we were kids. You've always done what they said without a second thought. Isn't that getting old by now?" He shouldn't have replied, but couldn't hold the words back in time."I don't do it for them, it's for father." Gabriel stared at his brother’s form in disbelief. "Oh really? Would he ever do something like that for you? When has he ever sacrificed anything meaningful to help you?" A minute passed. "Come on, I'm waiting for this one." When Castiel didn’t answer Gabriel turned the light off and his clothes were tossed to the floor in a pile. He laid on his bed in silence. Castiel stayed in the same position, and clutched the sheets below him. "Don't serve someone that wouldn't serve you. That rule is numero uno in life. People will take everything from you, until you've got nothing left. When they run you dry, they'll just toss you out of the circle like they did with Uriel." Uriel's name brought a memory he wasn't prepared for. The man died because of Zachariah's mistake to send him into a house full of more than one Vampire. His brother didn't seem to feel any sort of guilt, and merely attributed the death to ‘Uriel's lack of ability’. What angered him most about the tragic event was the fact that Uriel died alone. When the memory returned to the far corner of his mind, he got under the blankets to sleep. "Don't say I didn't warn you when it happens, little bro." Castiel was more upset by the fact that he agreed with his brother's words, than at what Gabriel had to say. Deviation from his calling to help and obey would not be tolerated, but something within him began to spark. A familiar burst of light inside his soul willed him to leave their clutches, and help people his own way. No strife, or control was needed to do that. Castiel went to sleep that night, unsure of whether to cup the light to keep it growing, or extinguish it.

✝

  
The group of brothers met at Conrad’s Restaurant for breakfast before leaving Glendale. Michael sat at a table with Gabriel and Castiel to fill them in on their plan, since Raphael and Zachariah were already up to speed. Gabriel didn't look very happy when he met Michael's gaze. There was so much irritation on his face. Castiel wouldn't even lift his eyes from the details of the table. He didn't agree with Zachariah's decision to hit him. It wasn't right, and he told him that when he watched Castiel walk up the stairs to retrieve Gabriel. Zachariah just laughed, and assured him that it always worked on their cowardly little brother, but that didn't justify it. He let Zachariah know this in their hotel room. Michael wasn't the type who used yelling as a threat; it was a deadly shift in his voice that his younger brothers were all too familiar with. He need only use it once to show his seriousness. Before Zachariah could push out a fumbled apology, Michael cut him off. "He's the youngest brother. He should be protected, not attacked by his own family. You will apologize to him tomorrow, do you understand?" He'd said before switching the lights off and laying in his bed. He didn't sleep much that night. Castiel's melancholy expression in the rear-view mirror ate away at his conscious. He should've protected him, but he was never good at anything other than being their leader. Plans needed to be put into place before he took action for everything. Emotional situations weren't in his field of expertise. Lucifer was the one who guided Castiel and Gabriel when they were children. The both of them would waltz into chaos the moment they opened their eyes in the morning, but he always seemed to sweep them out of harm’s way and lead them to safety. It was forbidden to use your time outside of lessons other to study them, but he would play with the boys in the backyard whenever their father wasn't home. They would babble about outer space while their older brother caught a dragonfly to show them. The vivid memory never ceased to pain him. There were days he wondered what Lucifer looked like right now, if he was even alive. The waitress came by to snap him out of his muddled thoughts. The light in her eyes was refreshing to see. "What can I get for you guys today?" Her voice was so soft, and pleasant to hear. Castiel met her eyes. "Black coffee, and the Scrabble please." Gabriel eyed her in a very shameful way. Luckily, his order was appropriate this time. "I'll take orange juice, and the ranchero omelette." Well, his tone wasn't. He must not have been her first flirtatious customer, because she remained completely unphased. "And you, sweetheart?" She directed towards Michael. "Just water and a breakfast burrito for me please." She scribbled his order down with a nod, and disappeared into the kitchen. "Father's most recent case was in Phoenix, which is why we're nearly there. He was hunting a shifter from the look of it. This was all I could find. He's been radio silent since then." He passed them a manila folder, which contained a synopsis of the murdered 'Amadeo Derillo' he printed out. The images of the crime scene were quite graphic, and the body was left in a very significant state. It was casted on the floor as a hollow pile of skin. It left the police force scratching their heads. Gabriel grimaced and passed the folder to Castiel. His blank expression didn't change. "After we eat here, we'll go down to Phoenix to further our investigation and find him." They silently agreed, and the waitress returned with their drinks. Castiel held his mug of coffee with both hands. He finally spoke to Michael. "And if he's not there?" Michael looked across to him. "We won't stop until we find out where he is. I'm sure you know there isn't a guarantee that he'll be there, but he most definitely was. If he left, we will dig until we find out where he went.” His youngest brother nodded, and took a sip of his coffee. Gabriel’s orange juice was already gone. Their kind waitress returned ten minutes later with their plates. She went back to grab Michael’s, and the two started to eat. The food was divine. “Castiel,” he said between a big bite of his breakfast burrito. “Zachariah has something to speak to you about before we go. Don't forget to ask him about it, alright?” He wiped his mouth with a napkin, and watched Castiel’s eyes widen like a deer looking at the headlights of it's metal executioner. This reaction didn't change while he ate his meal. It didn't make Michael regret his decision. It was proof that he needed an apology. Amends weren't expected, but the satisfaction of saying he was wrong would have to be enough for now. They finished their big breakfast quickly, and headed out. Raphael was the only one who didn't need to change, since he preferred formal wear over casual clothes like the rest of them. Their stop was at a nearby gas station. They took turns using the small restroom to change into the proper clothes of a Federal agent. The suit for Gabriel was too tight for him, and Castiel’s too loose. They exchanged looks outside of the bathroom, and switched. To Castiel’s disappointment, none of them would use their trench coats for this case; it was much too hot for his favorite component of the Federal disguise. Now was the moment Castiel would ask Zachariah what they could possibly need to speak about. “Zachariah.” He turned around, and met his little brother’s eyes. “Yes?” “I was told there is something you need to speak with me about.” Zachariah scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah.. I'm sorry about what I did back in LA. It wasn't right, and I think I get that now. You always do what we say so it was uncalled for. I should stop treating you like a baby.. blah blah blah. You get it.” Castiel held a small smile. “Thank you.” Zachariah genuinely felt remorse at that moment. “No, I really am. You're nineteen, but that doesn't mean I can just push you around anymore.” He began to realize his mistake when he spoke with Raphael at their own table in Conrad's. His words rang in his head the entire time. “He may seem like a coward to you, because all he ever does is exactly what we say. He'd never backtalk us, or do anything to cause disrespect. Knowing that, you slapped him so he would go back to Gabriel. Now tell me, who do you think the coward really is?” He wasn't like Michael. He couldn't plan anything quite right, he didn't have the puppy eyes Castiel would use when questioning people, or maintain a leveled head in any situation like Raphael. All he had was a smidge of authority and he abused it, so he would have to cast that aside. Zachariah wanted to contribute to his family his own way, and wouldn't stop until he found what that was. He seethed over the fact that Raphael was right, but it brought some good along with it. Castiel hugged him briefly, and took a seat in the back of his car. It didn't make any sense to him. He made his way to the blue Cadillac and took his seat in the front beside Michael. His mind kept trying to formulate logical reasons why Castiel would hug him. He didn't deserve one. On their way to Phoenix he concluded that his little brother is still just a softie, as he always was. Michael was right; he did need protection. That final revelation put the vexing thought to rest.

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly wouldn't have been possible without my legendary editor. You're the best! Thank you soooo so much for motivating me to get this up and running https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jeysaunders?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma


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